Better Man

Check out Rebecca S. Green (thanks, Dan): How does one put a value on what Dale Skaggs lost in the early-morning hours of July 21?

How much is his safety worth?

The state of Indiana measured some of the loss with 30-year prison sentences for two of the three robbers who broke through Skaggs' back door and smashed his face with a baseball bat and a bedside lamp.

But his hospital bills now climb well into the six-figure range. Skaggs has no health insurance, and only a small portion is covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, a small thanks for his Army service in Vietnam.

Skaggs, 63, said he walks "with what I have." That is a skill he said he has always possessed.

And to those burglars who nearly took his life, he offers something priceless - forgiveness.